Mr. Denby to Mr.
Sherman.
Legation of the United States,
Pekin, April 9, 1897.
(Received May 17.)
No. 2731.]Sir: I have the honor to inclose a copy of a
letter from the Rev. W. H. Lingle, a member of the American Presbyterian
Mission at Lien Chou in Kwangtung, China, wherein he represents that in
the prefecture in which the mission is located, Christian converts are
prevented from entering the Government examinations and competing for
honors.
There can be no question that an attempt to place Chinese converts to
Christianity under civil disabilities, because of their faith, is a
violation of the treaty obligations of China.
I have, accordingly, sent to the Tsung-li Yamên a paper on this subject
of which a copy is inclosed.
I have, etc.
[Page 83]
[Inclosure 1, in No.
2731.]
Mr. Lingle to
Mr. Denby.
Canton, China, March 15, 1897.
Dear Sir; I had the honor of addressing
your excellency last year in regard to our trouble in the Southern
part of the province of Hunan, which was most satisfactorily
settled.
I now take the liberty of addressing you again, upon a subject which
has troubled and hindered us in our work here for years; namely,
Christians being prevented from entering the Government
examinations. They have gone up year after year, but have never been
allowed to enter the examinations and compete for honors. I have
gone in person and seen the magistrate of this prefecture in regard
to the matter. I stated to him that these Christians were being
deprived of their rights as citizens of China, and were branded as
outcasts; that we were hindered in our work by being accused of
teaching a religion which was so bad that whoever became a convert
to it lost his rights as a citizen. I have seen the magistrate
repeatedly about this. He always acknowledges to me the rights of
the Christians to enter the examinations, but said he could do
nothing to compel the Ling Pao, or examiners, to admit them.
We have petitioned the viceroy of Kwangtung, through our American
consul in Canton, year after year, but have secured nothing,
excepting replies that Christians could compete in the
examinations.
We know they have the right, but in this prefecture they have never
been permitted to enjoy that right.
The magistrate acknowledges their rights, and so has the viceroy, in
every reply to our petitions, and still all Christians are debarred
from entering the examination halls. We as American citizens are
accused of teaching a religion which is so vile that the Chinese
Government will not permit anyone who becomes a Christian to compete
for honors. We are thus greatly hindered in our work.
Every scholar in China aspires to honors and a government position.
The scholars are kept from uniting with the church and entering our
schools on account of this barrier.
I appeal to your excellency to help us in this matter. There is no
need of my appealing to the magistrate and petitioning the viceroy
any longer. Can we not have some stringent order from higher
authority that Christians are not to be hindered from entering the
examinations at the prefecture of Lien Chou and have the order
executed?
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 2 in No.
2731.]
Mr. Denby to
the Tsung-li Yamên.
Your Highnesses and Your Excellencies: I
have the honor to inform you that I have received a letter from an
American missionary at Lien Chou, in Kwangtung, in which he states
that Chinese converts to the Christian religion in that prefecture
are not allowed to compete at the Government examinations. The
matter has been frequently reported to the magistrate of the
prefecture by the missionaries,
[Page 84]
but, while admitting that Christians have the
right to enter the examinations, he states that he can do nothing to
compel the examiners (Ling Pao) to admit them. The viceroy has year
after year been appealed to, through the American consul at Canton,
in behalf of the converts. His reply has uniformly been that
Christians may compete, but this has had no effect in removing the
prohibitions under which they suffer at Lien Chou.
The principle of religious toleration has been accepted by the
Chinese Government in treaties with many, if not all, western
powers. It is expressly declared in Article XXIX of the treaty made
with the United States in 1858 that those who quietly profess
Christian doctrines shall in no case be molested. In Article XII of
the treaty with France of the same year the Chinese Government
formally abrogates all that has heretofore been officially
proclaimed or published against the Christian religion, and this
abrogation was reaffirmed less than two years ago in an arrangement
entered into by your highnesses and your excellencies with the
French minister at Peking. The principle of religious toleration has
been repeatedly proclaimed by the Emperor and there is no question
that an attempt to place Chinese converts to Christianity under
civil disabilities, because of their faith, is a violation of the
laws of China as well as of the treaties with foreign powers. So
freely is this principle accepted by the Government and high
officials of China that the defiance of it by obscure local
officials in Kwangtung is presumption meriting the most severe
punishment.
I request you to issue stringent orders to the authorities at Lien
Chou that no Christian qualified to present himself at any
examination shall be hindered or discriminated against because of
his religious belief.
